80% kidney patients die premature death due to high treatment cost

About 70% of kidney patients, who start dialysis, die within six months of starting the procedure, failing to bear the expenses, health experts have said.  

They held anomalies in treatment cost of kidney diseases, fixed by different hospital authorities, responsible for this grim situation as 80% of the total kidney-related deaths are caused due to insolvency to continue treatment.

At a programme organised to mark International Universal Health Coverage Day,  Founder President of Kidney Foundation Hospital and Research Institute Bangladesh Professor Dr Harun Ur Rashid said that annually dialysis is done on 18,000 kidney patients across the country.    

"The patients cannot bear the high treatment cost. In our hospital, we take Tk1,600 for dialysis but it ranges from Tk3,600 to Tk6,000 hospital to hospital," he said, adding these anomalies should be removed.  

He said that a kidney patient has to spend Tk1.71 lakh for dialysis in a year while it takes Tk2.70 lakh for a transplant and Tk20,000 to 25,000 for medicine. 

"Only 4% to 5% of people can bear these expenses. Cannot we do anything for these 70% who die because of their inability to do dialysis?" Dr Harun appealed.

Universal health coverage can be achieved only by providing dialysis services and transplants free of cost to the kidney patients, he said.

Citing the example of Nepal, he said that the treatment, dialysis and transplant are free for kidney patients with support of the government.

In Pakistan, the 500-bed Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SITU) hospital provides free treatment for kidney patients with donation money.

Professor Emeritus Dr M Shamser Ali was present as the chief guest while former President of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Professor Dr Rashid e Mahbub and former Chairman of National Board of Revenue Abdul Mazid were special guests.